1 T hat which came as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

The word of Jehovah that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.

2 T o Egypt, concerning the army of Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt, which was by the Euphrates River at Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon defeated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh-Necho king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates at Carchemish, which Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, the king of Judah.

3 “ Line up the shield and buckler, And draw near for the battle!

Make ready buckler and shield, and draw near to battle!

4 “ Harness the horses, And mount the steeds, And take your stand with helmets on! Polish the spears, Put on the scale-armor!

Harness the horses, and mount ye horsemen, and stand forth with helmets; polish the spears, put on the coats of mail!

5 “ Why have I seen it ? They are terrified, They are drawing back, And their mighty men are defeated And have taken refuge in flight, Without facing back; Terror is on every side!” Declares the Lord.

Why do I see them dismayed, turned away back? And their mighty ones are beaten down, and take to flight, and look not back? Terror on every side, saith Jehovah.

6 L et not the swift man flee, Nor the mighty man escape; In the north beside the river Euphrates They have stumbled and fallen.

Let not the swift flee away, neither let the mighty man escape!—Toward the north, hard by the river Euphrates, they have stumbled and fallen.

7 W ho is this that rises like the Nile, Like the rivers whose waters surge about?

Who is this riseth up as the Nile, whose waters toss themselves like the rivers?

8 E gypt rises like the Nile, Even like the rivers whose waters surge about; And He has said, “I will rise and cover that land; I will surely destroy the city and its inhabitants.”

It is Egypt that riseth up as the Nile, and waters toss themselves like the rivers; and he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.

9 G o up, you horses, and drive madly, you chariots, That the mighty men may march forward: Ethiopia and Put, that handle the shield, And the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow.

Go up, ye horses, and drive furiously, ye chariots; and let the mighty men go forth: Cush and Phut that handle the shield, and the Ludim that handle the bow bend it.

10 F or that day belongs to the Lord God of hosts, A day of vengeance, so as to avenge Himself on His foes; And the sword will devour and be satiated And drink its fill of their blood; For there will be a slaughter for the Lord God of hosts, In the land of the north by the river Euphrates.

For this is the day of the Lord Jehovah of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may be avenged of his adversaries; and the sword shall devour, and it shall be sated and made drunk with their blood; for the Lord Jehovah of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country, by the river Euphrates.

11 G o up to Gilead and obtain balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt! In vain have you multiplied remedies; There is no healing for you.

Go up to Gilead, and fetch balm, O virgin-daughter of Egypt! In vain shalt thou multiply remedies: there is no healing for thee.

12 T he nations have heard of your shame, And the earth is full of your cry of distress; For one warrior has stumbled over another, And both of them have fallen down together.

The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the earth; for the mighty man stumbleth against the mighty, they are both fallen together.

13 T his is the message which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:

The word that Jehovah spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon to smite the land of Egypt:

14 “ Declare in Egypt and proclaim in Migdol, Proclaim also in Memphis and Tahpanhes; Say, ‘Take your stand and get yourself ready, For the sword has devoured those around you.’

Declare in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph, and in Tahpanhes; say, Stand fast, and prepare thee; for the sword devoureth round about thee.

15 “ Why have your mighty ones become prostrate? They do not stand because the Lord has thrust them down.

Why are thy valiants swept away? They stood not, for Jehovah did thrust them down.

16 “ They have repeatedly stumbled; Indeed, they have fallen one against another. Then they said, ‘Get up! And let us go back To our own people and our native land Away from the sword of the oppressor.’

He made many to stumble, yea, one fell upon another; and they said, Arise, and let us return to our own people and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.

17 “ They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a big noise; He has let the appointed time pass by!’

There did they cry, Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he hath let the time appointed go by.

18 “ As I live,” declares the King Whose name is the Lord of hosts, “Surely one shall come who looms up like Tabor among the mountains, Or like Carmel by the sea.

I live, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts, surely as Tabor among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

19 “ Make your baggage ready for exile, O daughter dwelling in Egypt, For Memphis will become a desolation; It will even be burned down and bereft of inhabitants.

Thou, inhabitress, daughter of Egypt, furnish for thyself a captive's baggage, for Noph shall be a desolation and shall be ruined, so that none shall dwell therein.

20 “ Egypt is a pretty heifer, But a horsefly is coming from the north—it is coming!

Egypt is a very fair heifer; the gad-fly cometh, it cometh from the north.

21 “ Also her mercenaries in her midst Are like fattened calves, For even they too have turned back and have fled away together; They did not stand their ground. For the day of their calamity has come upon them, The time of their punishment.

Also her hired men in the midst of her are like fatted bullocks; for they also have turned back, they have fled away together, they did not stand; for the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their visitation.

22 “ Its sound moves along like a serpent; For they move on like an army And come to her as woodcutters with axes.

Her voice shall go like a serpent's; for they shall march with an army, and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

23 “ They have cut down her forest,” declares the Lord; “Surely it will no more be found, Even though they are now more numerous than locusts And are without number.

They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, though it be impenetrable; for they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.

24 “ The daughter of Egypt has been put to shame, Given over to the power of the people of the north.”

The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she is delivered into the hand of the people of the north.

25 T he Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says, “Behold, I am going to punish Amon of Thebes, and Pharaoh, and Egypt along with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh and those who trust in him.

Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, saith, Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, and her gods, and her kings; yea, Pharaoh and them that confide in him.

26 I shall give them over to the power of those who are seeking their lives, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his officers. Afterwards, however, it will be inhabited as in the days of old,” declares the Lord.

And I will give them into the hand of those that seek their life, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants; but afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith Jehovah.

27 “ But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, Nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see, I am going to save you from afar, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be undisturbed And secure, with no one making him tremble.

But thou, my servant Jacob, fear not, neither be dismayed, Israel: for behold, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make afraid.

28 “ O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the Lord, “For I am with you. For I will make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a full end of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.”

Fear thou not, my servant Jacob, saith Jehovah: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee with judgment, and I will not hold thee altogether guiltless.